An inkjet recording device serving as a droplet ejecting device that ejects droplets is conventionally known. The inkjet recording device records texts and images on a recording medium such as recording paper or the like, by ejecting ink droplets through nozzles. An inkjet recording device generally includes an inkjet head (droplet ejecting head) having a plurality of nozzles and an ink cartridge storing ink and connected to the inkjet head. When ink droplets are ejected from the plurality of nozzles of the inkjet head and ink is consumed, additional ink is supplied from the ink cartridge to the inkjet head.
In such an inkjet recording device, air sometimes enters a channel (ink supply channel) that connects the inkjet head with the ink cartridge, from the outside, during an exchange operation of the ink cartridge and the like. If air (air bubble) having entered the ink supply channel flow together with ink to reach the inkjet head, poor ink ejection at the nozzles may be caused. Accordingly, an inkjet recording device has been proposed in which ink is sucked through nozzles of an inkjet head with a suction pump or the like, thereby discharging an air bubble existing within an ink supply channel at the upstream side of the inkjet head through the nozzles together with ink.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-199600 discloses an inkjet recording device which has a damper chamber at a position on an ink supply channel connecting an inkjet head with an ink cartridge for absorbing pressure fluctuations of ink. When a certain amount of an air bubble is stored in the damper chamber, a suction pump sucks ink through nozzles to discharge the air bubble in the damper chamber located at the upstream side of the inkjet head through the nozzles.